Suddenly, Werth, who hadn't much time to observe, strode to the plate with none of the studied cool that has become the hirsute outfielder's trademark.
Six pitches later the awkwardness and, as it turned out, the Dodgers' National League Championship Series chances, had vanished.
The Phillies rightfielder, called "Hollywood" by his teammates, blasted a 3-2 pitch for a three-run homer to the opposite field, deep into the right-field seats. It gave the Phillies a lead they would not relinquish in a 10-4 victory over L.A. that gave them a second straight NL pennant for the first time in their long history.
Later, Werth would also single and then homer again - this time to dead center - giving him a team-leading five home runs this postseason as well as 10 RBIs, second only to Ryan Howard.
Mr. Cool is Mr. Hot this October.
"I don't know how to explain it," Werth said when asked to describe his postseason play. "Big game. Big time. Now we've just got to keep it going."
Afterward, in the jubilant Phillies clubhouse, Werth's exuberance matched his play.
He climbed atop a table as soon as the Phillies entered and showered his teammates with champagne. Descending, he bounded around the room, spraying, hugging, shouting.
And when his clothes were saturated with champagne and beer, he calmly walked behind the plastic curtain and changed into a dry uniform top and a red T-shirt.
"Four more!" he shouted, referring to the team's goal in the World Series, which won't start for another week. "Four more."
One teammate after another embraced him. "Congratulations, Hollywood," many of them said.
It was appropriate that Hollywood killed L.A.
"You can't pitch around Howard," Dodgers coach Larry Bowa had said presciently when this series began, "not with the way Werth is swinging the bat."
